1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wireless networks and, more particularly, to a methodology and a concomitant system whereby a short message service exchange effects value-added functionality, including teleconferencing, based on the contents of a short message.
2. Description of the Background Art
A Short Message Service (SMS) enables a mobile subscriber in a mobile wireless network to send and receive short alphanumeric messages through his/her mobile station. The mobile station in the modern wireless networks can be a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop or any portable device capable of communicating with the wireless network equipment and having an alphanumeric display. With the advent of integration of some of the functionalities of wireless communication services with the Internet, it is also possible to send and receive short messages from a fixed communication station such as an Internet-connected computer.
A high-level block representation of a conventional SMS communication system 100 is shown in FIG. 1. A short message (SM) can originate from a wireless device such as a cell phone 120, a computer 105 connected to the Internet 110, or any similar device. A SM originating from a wireless device 120 is received by a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) 115 via the wireless medium 121 and other entities such as a base station not shown in the figure for simplicity. The MSC then sends the SM to the applicable SMSC (Short Message Service Center) 135 through the network cloud 130 comprising PSTN, wireless cellular, and other specific networks such as the well-known signaling system 7 (SS7) or even proprietary networks. SMSC 135 then determines the destination of the SM (in this example, mobile station 145), and routes it to the appropriate MSC 140, which then delivers the SM to the destination device 145. While two distinct MSCs are shown in FIG. 1 for generality, in cases where the destination device is in the same area as the SM originating device, the SM is handled by a single MSC. Similarly, it is also clear that computer 105 connected to the Internet 110 can transmit the SM to SMSC 135 for handling as outlined above for delivery to mobile station 145. Moreover, the above description of a conventional SMS system is highly simplified to bring out the underlying processes. However, even in the simplified form, it is readily appreciated that in current SMS systems the SM is just delivered to the destination device in the same form it is sent from the originating device. But, with further reflection, it is soon realized that there exists a great potential for using SMs in a SMS system to initiate different operations based on the contents of the SMs. Also, an SM can be preprocessed and valuable information may be added before delivery to the final recipient. These features are not utilized in the state-of-the-art SMS systems. Furthermore, SMs can be used to initiate specific operations at the destination. Keeping this in view, the subject matter of the present invention relates to an SMS exchange that performs value-addition functions based on the contents of SMs.
Another aspect of the subject matter of the present invention relates to initiating a teleconference from a cell-phone through the SMS exchange utilizing the value-added functionality of SMs. Teleconferencing among three or more individuals with cellular phones is a very useful communication service in the today's environment. People on the move are greatly helped by such a service in making decisions and planning future activities. However, in the current state-of-the-art, a person initiating a teleconference or, e.g., that person's secretary, is required to call each of the participants and conduct the teleconference. There is now a need for an automated system that can manage a teleconference without the intervention of the person initiating the teleconference. Also, other automated functions such as reminding a user about some event or providing the user with some information at a time pre-selected by the user are possible with such a telecommunication service. A major benefit of such a system is that a user can coordinate activities such as teleconferencing, tele-reminding or timed tele-messaging even when the user is on the move without physical access to a computer with connection to the Internet.
Discussed below are representative references that provide a backdrop for the subject matter of the present invention. The SMS exchange with value-addition features and the SMS-based teleconferencing system in accordance with the present invention are not taught or suggested by this art.
U.S. Patent Application No. 20010003094 by Foll describes a method and mobile communications system for controlling a short message service. In this invention, on the basis of the fact that short messages are sent by a communication terminal of a mobile subscriber into a mobile radio network and are routed to a switching facility responsible for the mobile subscriber, a short message together with an address that identifies a service facility responsible for dealing with the short message service for a mobile subscriber is received by the switching facility. The short messages are routed for temporary storage in the service facility and for transmission to a communication terminal of another subscriber if the received address is contained in an address table of the switching facility.
U.S. Patent Application No. 20010011020 by Nahm pertains to a method for transferring and reflecting message by using short message service in a portable digital phone. In this invention, a method for operating an SMS in a portable digital phone, more particularly a method for transferring and responding to a message using an SMS in a portable digital phone, is described. The method according to the invention includes the steps of drafting a message with a plurality of optional messages by a sending party, transferring the optional messages as an SMS message during a transferring mode, and receiving and responding to the sender's message by selectively responding to the optional messages.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,212 issued to Ross et al. describes a short message service center. The short message service center allows processing characteristics to be modified for service users within a given type so that the storage and delivery of short messages to one service user of a given type may be different for another service user within the same given type. The short message service center alleviates some of the potential “jams” associated with the processing of large distribution lists and closed user groups. The short message service center further allows for distributed administration. Additionally, the short message service center receives a short message in one standard format and delivers the short message in another standard format. The short message service center utilizes both a table routing method and a global title translation method for routing messages to a recipient. It allows a complete transmission of short messages between service entities having differing short message length definitions and has capability for dynamic system re-configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,726 issued to Donovan et al. describes a system using portion of a short message payload to identify short message service types and delivering the message if user subscribes to the services. A system and method for providing enhanced short-message service options in PCS systems is described. The generic short-message service is split into unbundled short-message service applications (e.g., emergency messaging, voice mail alert, etc.). Each of these unbundled short message services is recognized at short-message systems, home location registers, and subscriber terminals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,357 issued to Salin pertains short message processing in a mobile exchange. In this invention, a method is described for processing a short message received at a mobile exchange in a cellular radio network, for delivering one short message at a time to a B subscriber. An operation controller is used for observing the operation of the B subscriber so as to detect the delivery of the short message and to prevent the delivery of another short message when the delivery of the preceding short message is in progress. A memory is used for storing rejected short messages and a queue control is adopted responsive to the B-subscriber operation controller for reading the rejected short message from the memory so as to initiate the delivery of the short message to the B subscriber when the delivery of the preceding short message is completed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,103 issued to Foti describes a method of providing service information from a subscriber service profile to subscribers in a cellular telecommunications network using the short message service. The network includes a mobile station having a visual display, a mobile switching center, and a home location register for storing the subscriber service profile. A request for the service profile information is transmitted from the mobile station to the mobile switching center and the home location register. The mobile switching center retrieves the service profile information from the home location register. The service profile information is appended to an SMS message that is transmitted from the mobile switching center to the mobile station. The service profile information is then provided in a voice message or displayed on the visual display of the mobile station. Thus, this invention provides only basic additional processing of an SMS message before delivery to the final recipient.
While the above representative art deals with various aspects of SMS message systems, the art is devoid of a separate SMS exchange with value-addition capability in accordance with the present invention. Moreover, the art is devoid of value addition service involving initiation of a teleconferencing system by using SMS messages such as described herein.